SUMMARY - Victim Services and Advocacy Programs
A sexual assault survivor calls a crisis line run by a nonprofit, receives immediate counseling, then gets referred to a different organization for legal advocacy, another for housing assistance, and a government program for financial compensation. A domestic violence victim enters a shelter operated by a charitable organization with precarious funding, uncertain whether the program will exist next year. An advocacy group helps a crime victim navigate the justice system but has no authority to compel prosecutors or courts to act on their recommendations.